Isolating purely-leptonic signals for strong W scattering using anti-tagging, jet-tagging and lepton isolation

Abstract

We explore in depth several techniques for detecting the ℓ +ℓ + mass spectrum coming from W +W + scattering at a hadron collider. We focus on the signal, due to enhanced production of longitudinally polarized W +'s, that arises in the Standard Model when the Higgs boson has mass ⪆ 1 TeV . We demonstrate that anti-tagging against energetic centrally produced jets must be combined either with our earlier-proposed cut (requiring single-jet tagging) on the minimum jet-lepton invariant mass or with a cut on the isolation of the leptons in order to adequately suppress all backgrounds. In particular, we identify cuts that are sufficient to suppress the t t - induced backgrounds below the level of the signal. Effects due to production of an extra gluon in association with the t t are included. Sensitivity to distribution functions and scale choices is explored. Event rates at the LHC, SSC and Eloisatron energies are given. Use of the isolation requirement along with staged implementation of the other cuts is proposed as a means for verifying the Standard Model expectation for the W +W + spectrum in the case where the Higgs boson is light. Applicability of the proposed cut procedures to the purely leptonic decay modes of the W +W −, ZZ and W ±Z channels is outlined.